More Parenting Paradoxes

Following up my earlier post about parenting paradoxes, here are some more:

• I want my kids to become more self-entertaining and be able to take care of themselves more, to make it easier on me ... but I will be sad when they need me less and less.


• I want my kids to be confident enough to take risks, but not to put themselves in danger


• I want my kids to be able to figure out life, but I haven't figured it out myself, and can't teach them everything.


• If I take care of their every need, I remove much of the motivation for them to grow


• Qualities that can make a child hard to raise (e.g. being strong-willed, or highly sensitive, or strongly questioning) are useful qualities in adulthood.